Hammer.



Nrrn

LUOIEN B. KNIGH HAM MER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,341, dated December 5, 1899.

Application fil d August 10, 1899. Serial No. 726,739. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known'that I, LUCIEN B. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Hammers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which to it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to hammers, and has for its object to improve the same, as hereinafter noted.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient device for holding a nail by the head, so that it may be given its first driving-stroke into the wood or material into which it is to be driven without requiring the nail to be held by the hand.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 shows in side elevation a hammer constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transversevertical section taken on the line 00 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line :0 x of Fig. 1, and Fig. at is a horizontal section taken on 0 the line a m of Fig. 1.

The numeral 1 indicates the head, and the numeral 2 the handle, of a claw hammenwhich is of ordinary construction, except as hereinafter noted. The socket portion of the hammer-head 1 is provided just below the claws 3 of the said hammer-head with a flaring seat or channel 4, which has inwardly-projecting diverging flanges 5.

A nail is indicated in Figs. 1 and2 by the 0 letter Z. The head of the said nail is adapted to be inserted into the groove or recess at just below the ,diverging flanges 5, which flanges 5 prevent the nail from falling from position by endwise movement.

In virtue of the relation of the seat for the nail-head formed by the recess 4 and diverging flanges 5 the nail when held thereby at its head will pass between the claws 3 0f the hammer-head, and will thus be held at its in termediate portion against lateral movements in the initial driving action.

It is of course understood that with the nail-holding device described nails may be driven at points above the reach of the operator and at points where it would be impossible to hold a nail with one hand and strike the same with a hammer. With my improved nail-holding attachment a nail may be very easily and securely held and may be easily given its initial drive to secure it in position, and the hammer may then be easily detached therefrom and used to complete the driving of the nail.

As shown, I provide the hammer-head with side bosses or pounding-surfaces 6 and 7, which adapt the hammer to be used as a mal let. Preferably one of the bosses 7 is provided with a dovetailed recess 8, into which a correspondingly-formed base portion of a soft facing-piece 9 is secured. The so-called facing 9 may be of leather, or it may be formed of soft babbitt or other material which is softer than the'substance of the hammerhead. This soft facing is desirable for many and obvious purposes.

The hammer above described while capable of much more general use than an ordinary hammer will cost but little or no more to manufacture.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let- 8o ters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

The combination with the hammer-head l with claws 3 and extended socket for the hammer-handle,of.the flaring flanges 5 formed on the socket portion of said head 1 outward of the base of the claws 3 and forming the dovetailed seat et for the reception of the nailhead, the said seat 4. being located in line with the opening between the said claws 3, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LUGIEN B. KNIGHT.

Witnesses:

HARRY KILGORE, F. D. MERCHANT. 

